Free Republic

Dope's no worse than booze, claims President Obama, a former doper. Dope, as in mary jane, tea, herb, grass or, more commonly, pot. The Magnificent O made his pronouncement in a lengthy interview with The New Yorker, as conveyed through the auspices of the Washington Times. His Magnificence wasn't speaking ex cathedra -- yet -- so states needn't jump to and join the dope legalization bandwagon. For the time being, though, states hungry for tax revenues can opt to treat dope legalization like casino gambling -- a controlled vice with upsides for state government coffers. Many -- mostly blue states...

Add another pressing challenge to President-elect Barack Obama's growing to-do list - tamping down a dramatic rise in violence and corruption that has overwhelmed the U.S.-Mexico border and spread an escalating turf fight between warring drug cartels into the United States. Near-daily shootouts and ambushes along the southwestern border pose a serious threat, according to separate government reports, which predict a rise in "deadly force" against law enforcement officers, first responders and U.S. border residents. Even President Bush, during a Dec. 21 interview with The Washington Times, warned that Mr. Obama faced a looming war with drug cartels where "the...